Reports: Indian army retaliates against Khaplang group; strikes rebel camp near Myanmar border

The Indian Army has retaliated against the NSCN Khaplang group following the latter’s offensive carried out earlier on June 18 where four Assam Rifles personnel were reportedly killed and 6 others injured when their vehicle was attacked in Mon district of Nagaland. It may be mentioned that the Assam Rifles personnel were attacked by the armed outfit with grenades and gunfire near Aboi, 35 km from the district headquarters.

In response, the Indian Army reportedly launched a ‘surgical’ strike on NSCN (K) camps in the Nagaland-Myanmar border area on June 27 (Wednesday).

“A team of 12 Para Commandos attacked a check post of the NSCN-K (National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang) situated in the vicinity of its Shwelo camp inside Myanmar on Wednesday. The gunfight continued for half hour,” an army official told IANSnews agency.

The IANSnews report quoting an army source stated that Indian Army commandos attacked a NSCN-K camp in Myanmar, inflicting some casualties. The rebels suffered at least four to five casualties on the NSCN-K rebels, he said, adding there was no casualty on the army side.

The commandos were equipped with rocket launchers, mortars and automatic grenade launcher to carry out the strike, he said, adding the operation lasted for two hours after being started at 2 p.m.

According to the official, the area of operation was 3 km beyond border pillar 151 on the India-Myanmar border across Nagaland’s Mon district.

NSCN-K’s Deputy Minister, ‘Colonel’ Isak Sumi, confirmed to IANS news agency that Indian Army “in huge numbers” crossed Chenmoh village and arrived at the international boundary some kilometres away from the “Naga Army” (NSCN-K) forward post, but were detected.

“On realisation that their presence has already been detected they resorted to blank firings randomly for several minutes to which the Naga Army responded and prevented any further advance. Casualties could not be ascertained,” Sumi wrote on his Facebook page.

Another news report in The Week quoted the NSCN (K) leader who claimed that the Indian Army attempted to carry out a surgical strike on their camp on Nagaland-Myanmar border, but failed.

Isak Sumi, deputy minister of NSCN-K, said a huge number of Army personnel arrived at the Nagaland-Myanmar border and opened fire on Naga camps.”But we had already detected the Indian Army’s presence and resorted to firing randomly for several minutes. Naga army (NSCN-K) responded and prevented any further advance (of Indian Army). The casualty could not be ascertained,” said Sumi in a statement.

The Army marched through the Nagaland-Myanmar border at around Wednesday noon and tried to blow off the camps of NSCN-K, according to the NSCN (K) group’s statement as reported in The Week. The exchange of firing lasted for around half-an-hour, it said.

According to The Week news report, the Army neither accepted nor refuted the charges. “The Eastern Command maintained a studied silence. The Third Corps or Spear Corps of Indian Army, stationed in Dimapur and looks after the area, refused to comment”.

However, a senior official of the Indian Army official, posted in Nagaland, said the incident occurred, but the Army did not violate the international border. “It was not a violation of international border or any kind of surgical strikes,” said the officer to The Week.

Meanwhile late night news coming in at the time of filing this report informs that firing of few shots and bombardment took place neat Ngoromi village under Kiphire district following an exchange between the Assam Rifles and ‘UGs’. Details of the news is awaited as entry to the area is restricted.

Mention may be made that the NSCN (K) abrogated a ceasefire signed in 2001 with the Indian government on March 27, 2015, just a month before the truce was up for renewal.